10 Best Neo-Noir Movies Of The 21st Century

Proof that American and European filmmakers don't have exclusive rights to making great neo-noir films, Infernal Affairs is a supremely suspenseful crime drama stuffed full of double-crosses, criminal politics, and palpable desperation.

The basic plot line is familiar to anyone who saw Martin Scorsese's remake, The Departed. Cop goes undercover as a gangster, gangster goes undercover as a cop, and the cat-and-mouse chase unfurls from there. It's a morally ambiguous tale that lets the tension roll on from scene to scene, collecting layers like a snowball rolling downhill.

Scorsese's version may be the more widely-recognized movie in English-speaking countries, but Infernal Affairs more vividly captures the spirit of great noir. Its swift storytelling doesn't allow you to soak up individual character motivations as much as Scorsese's does, but the narrative web remains just as complex and is perhaps even more engrossing because of its efficient structure.

The battle of wits at the center of it all is truly captivating, but it's the production that elevates Infernal Affairs into the next stratosphere. Crisp editing, polished action sequences, and a focus on keeping this world small and easily-maintained all add up to one of the slickest neo-noirs of all time.